A Study in Blood
by Slenay
Summary: A young man aspiring to be a healer enters Republic City in search of a scroll that can change the face of water healing. However his search hasn't come without a few obstacles. While escaping from the Equalists he meets a familiar face who may be willing to help him, if she is not too busy being the Avatar that is.(Begins during the end of Book One: Air)


**AN: This is a fan-fiction. **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_** and **_**The Legend of Korra**_** are both owned by Nickolodeon Studios, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko. NOT BY ME!**

**Pfft… I wish.**

* * *

**Prologue**

The kelp was looking particularly excellent today; deep hunter green and gentle blue hues. The freshest blades still had the salty smell of sea water clinging to them - a clear sign that this particular selection of stipes had just been harvested as early as this morning - and were grouped together in the back of the grocer's display. The oldest, less impressive kelp - harvested yesterday, it seemed - was stationed at the front. Though still green, the older kelp now carried flecks of yellow along the ridges of the blades, and were beginning to give off the slightly pungent scent, a telltale sign of the slow decay that was approaching. Obviously, the grocer wanted to sell this older batch of kelp first before it became inedible.

It really did not make much of a difference in the overall flavor of the kelp, and while most customers wouldn't bother noticing this subtle contrast in the produce, Hakku did.

He eyed two selections of kelp with careful scrutiny, holding each one in either hand. One of cluster of blades had a far deeper shade of blue running along the stem-like structure of the kelp, indicating its age. Younger seaweed tended to have a crisp texture, perfect for chopping into a salad, though not very flavorful. Salad sounded like a simple meal to make tonight, boring, but simple.

The cluster on his other hand, though, had a greener tint to the blades. Green kelp had a slight salty taste to them that would especially open up if boiled, perfect for soups and even seasoning in some cases. Of course, seaweed soup typically took a few hours to prepare and that would bring up the question of just how much cooking time he had to work with tonight.

"Are you going to buy the kelp, or marry it?" an irritated voice called out, startling Hakku out of his reverie. He looked up at the stern face of the local grocer near his home.

Miss Ahnah had been around since as far back as he could remember in all his nine years of life here in the South Pole. She was old, older than his mother, with long graying hair in a loose braid that ran along her back. She was giving him the same icy blue gaze she always wore when she regarded him, a look that many of the other villagers seemed to share. He didn't take it to heart though; as brash and mean as she would always act toward him, Hakku knew that deep down she was really very nice.

"Good afternoon, Miss Ahnah!" Hakku exclaimed, a genuinely happy grin nearly breaking his face in two. "I didn't mean to take a long time, I was just admiring your produce today," Hakku continued even as Miss Ahnah rolled her eyes. "I was wondering, may I please have a quarter pound of your freshest sea kelp?"

"Do you have _money_, Hakku?" she asked, her wrinkled eyes narrowing even more as if that were possible.

His smiled dimmed only slightly. "Well, no… but-" he placed the seaweed back on the display then dug into his leather knapsack. He then pulled out a large fish, still alive and wriggling, and presented it right under the older woman's nose. "-I've just caught this arctic trout this morning," he beamed, "He's really big. I bet he can fetch at _least_ ten pieces of kelp!"

Miss Ahnah eyed the squirming animal before heaving a deep sigh. "Hakku, exactly how long do you plan on paying me in fish?"

"Okay then, eight pieces, and that's a bargain," he said trying to hand her the trout.

She, on the other hand, waved it out of her face and continued, "Mister Nanook, two blocks down, _he_ is a fish monger," she said, pointing towards the other side of the marketplace. "Why not just sell your fish to Nanook? Then you can buy from me with the _money_ that he gives you,"

Finally, Hakku's perpetual smile started to wane. He regarded the older woman with his big aqua-marine eyes as they filled with an innocent confusion. She pretended that it did not affect her. "I don't understand," he said, "Don't you like my fish Miss Ahnah?" he asked sadly, "It's not much, but I know that at least its sale could really help your profits for today,"

"It's not that, Hakku. It's just…" she sighed again, growing weary with this conversation, "It's just that I sell _vegetables_. Nanook sells fish. If I start accepting fish from you then I would have to accept fish from everyone and then where will that put Nanook? He may even find it disrespectful and I have no wish to compete with him in this market. Do you understand?"

Hakku continued to stare though. The shine in his eyes dimming by the second and the more he stared at her, the more uncomfortable she became. She didn't want to bully the kid, she really didn't, but that didn't mean she was willing to risk getting on Nanook's bad side. The man had enough of a temper as it was. There was a long awkward pause that seemed to stretch as Hakku regarded the older woman dejectedly.

"… H-how about five pieces?" he said finally, almost desperately, the hands that held the trout hanging down his front.

He didn't want to tell her that he had in fact tried to sell his fish to Nanook before, but not only would he give Hakku an unfair price, Nanook also just so happened to be the father of Nanoka, a boy that Hakku went to school with. Hakku was sure that Nanoka wasn't a bad kid on the inside, he was just a bit of a show off, and being the top performer in his Warrior Training class he could usually back it up. He also took great joy in making sure Hakku's days weren't easy, and unfortunately his father was no different. There was only so many times Hakku could take being called a "fatherless urchin"- among other things - before it started to wear on him.

Hakku would never mention any of this to anyone but it seemed that his silence spoke volumes to Miss Ahnah and she begrudgingly took the trout from Hakku's hands.

"Don't be going around saying I did this for you, understand?" she said firmly, the proceeded to fill a small white linen bag with about eight pieces worth of kelp, not a quarter pound. She also gave him the older kelp with the yellow specks, but Hakku decided to not comment. He had already tested this woman's patience enough for today and he knew better than to try his luck. At least she wasn't calling him names or throwing ice at him.

"Thank you so much, Miss Ahnah!" he beamed grabbing the bag she handed him.

She rolled her eyes, but otherwise gave no response as he gave a deep bow, then turned to head home.

Hakku was so happy he could have skipped. Tonight was a special night after all. Tonight was the Lunar Festival in the South Pole, a night when all the families in the Tribe will be able to spend time together and give each other gifts. A lot of the local businesses will be closing early in celebration, meaning his mother will be coming home in time for dinner for a change. He barely saw her anymore since she started working at the Sea Prunes packaging plant to earn a little extra money. They had breakfast together every now and again, but her long hours at the plant would prohibit her from coming home until far after Hakku had fallen asleep. Tonight though she would be home early, and this time Hakku is going to surprise her with some recipes he's learned all on his own. Really it was the only gift he could give her.

Hakku looked into the linen bag as he made it way down an alley that would eventually lead him to the outskirts of town. Admittedly, it the kelp wasn't the best quality, but it would have to do. He was sure that with some sea salt, egg yolk and a few crushed sea prunes he would be able to come up with a tasty kelp soup for tonight. He would have to get started on that soon though, if he wanted it to be a surprise.

He was weighing the pros and cons of mashing the blades or just boiling them when he collided with something solid in his path.

Hakku caught himself quickly before he fell backwards. "Oh! S-sorry," he stammered, "I wasn't-"

"Why don't you watch where you're going, Pansy!" an unfortunately familiar voice boomed over him. Hakku's heart sank when he realized just who the voice belonged to.

"Na-Nanoka! I-I thought you were in Warrior Training to-today," he stuttered.

Nanoka along with his two companions on either side of him had the familiar tanned skin and blue eyes that Water Tribe natives were known for. His eyes though were a couple shades lighter, more reminiscent of ice than water, and his dark brown hair was pulled into two wolftails, one right above the other. At 13 years old, he towers over Hakku, a nasty sneer marring his features as he looked down at the younger boy.

"Warrior class was cut short today for the Festival, loser. 'Course you would know that if you ever went. But I guess you like going to the Healing classes instead, with the _other girls,"_

The other boys laughed at this and Hakku recognized one of them as Mihno, Nanoka's best friend. Wherever Nanoka would go rest assured Mihno wasn't far behind.

"Are you just getting out of _How to be a Lady: 101_?" Mihno asked coming up to stand at Nanoka's left, wearing the same cruel smile. He was the same age as his best friend and had slightly darker skin than any of the other boys. His hair was cut short along the left side of his scalp, and then longer - around shoulder length - along the right with a lock wrapped in blue fabric framing his face.

It was times like these, whenever he was around other boys, that Hakku truly felt different from them, from everyone. All the other boys, even the ones that were younger than him, always seemed so tough and strong. They always rough housed and played with their toy weapons. Hakku never enjoyed it much though. He preferred to keep to himself and spend his time drawing and reading. Though it appeared that a lot of the negative attention he received had more to do with his looks than anything else. If he didn't look the way he did he would most likely be ignored. Unfortunately, while everyone else in the village had the same dark skin and hair with the same blue eyes, Hakku stuck out like a sore thumb. With his snowy pale skin and aqua eyes, he already looked like a foreigner on vacation, but then that would not compare to his long blonde hair that he kept tied in a braid that fell over his shoulder.

He was just too easy of a target.

"U-um, well," Hakku answered, not wanting any trouble, "A-actually, there wasn't any Healing classes today,"

"Oh, that's right," Nanoka exclaimed, "All the _girls_ of the village were given the day off to help with the decorations and food for the ceremony tonight. Hey, I bet even your mom got the day off from that smelly plant," Nanoka grinned as Mihno snickered, "Not that either one of you will be welcomed anyway,"

At the mention of his mother something close to irritation sparked within Hakku, but he wisely decided to stay silent.

_Just ignore them, and they'll go away,_ he reminded himself. The boys were busy laughing at his expense so he decided to just try to walk past them and go home.

He didn't get far.

"Hey, what's this?" Mihno asked as he snatched Hakku's grocery bag right out of his hands. He looked inside and his face contorted into a look of disgust. "Ew, kelp!" Mihno exclaimed tossing the sack over to Nanoka.

"Give that back!" Hakku pleaded trying in vain to recover the item. The older boy easily brushed him aside.

"Ha! What, are you cooking now too, Hakku?" Nanoka teased, waving the bag inches above Hakku's head. "Can't your mother even do _that_ much?"

Hakku trembled, his irritation melting into full on anger as they continued to torment him. "Sh-shut up…"

"What was that?" Mihno asked, leaning in close, "Did the little lady have something to say?"

"Of course not," Nanoka started, "He's not man enough to say anything to us,"

"He's getting pretty mad, Nanoka," the third boy finally spoke up. This boy was shorter than both Mihno and Nanoka but still taller than Hakku. He was probably a year or so younger than the other two. Hakku didn't recognize him; he probably had just recently started hanging out in their clique. He had the same completion as Nanoka, with light brown hair tied into a tight top knot. Though he had yet to say anything, he also didn't seem very affected by the bullying that was going on in front of him. "Doesn't this kid live nearby? What if his dad or someone come and get him?"

"Don't be stupid, Kodi," Nanoka snapped, tossing the bag of kelp at Mihno when Hakku tried to get it back again. "Hakku doesn't even have a dad,"

"He doesn't?" the boy, Kodi, asked in surprise.

"Course not. You think if he had a dad he would be such a wuss?" Mihno said as he tossed Kodi the sack. Hakku was getting very tired with this game of keep away.

"Can I _please_ have my-" he tried, but they ignored him.

"Yeah, don't ya know, Kodi?" Nanoka continued, as he was tossed the bag again, "Hakku here is a Fatherless. And not even the honorable kind of Fatherless, _if_ you know what I mean,"

Hakku froze.

"No way!" Kodi gasped.

"Oh, yeah," Mihno added, "My mom says that _his_ mom would 'open her house' to the foreign merchants all the time,"

Hakku felt his fists start to tremble with barely suppressed emotion, he stopped trying to reacquire his kelp, and they continued to talk about him as if he wasn't standing right in front of them.

"Shut up," he said in a low voice, his face hot with anger, embarrassment, and something else.

Nanoka laughed. "It just goes to show just how much they're worth. Him and his filthy mothe-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Hakku roared, the floodgates on his rage finally releasing as he charged Nanoka full on. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do, but he felt like if he didn't do something he would explode.

They can insult him all they want. They can push him around, and bully him, and tease him all day if they wanted to, but they _can't_ talk about his mom like that! She's the greatest, nicest, and most selfless person in the entire world. No one had the right to say anything bad about her. _They don't even know her!_

Nanoka, though, wasn't at the top of his Warrior class for nothing. The moment Hakku came within reach the older boy easily sidestepped the advance, leaving Hakku grabbing nothing but air. Then with a quick turn and a cruel grin, Nanoka countered with a swift kick to Hakku's neck, sending him face first into the hard snow.

Stars flashed before Hakku's eyes, he could barely register the icy moisture on his cheek. When his vision finally cleared, he pulled his face up from the snow. All he could hear was the mocking laughter of the boys above him.

"What a loser," Mihno laughed as he took advantage of Hakku's position to give him another swift kick into his side.

Hakku cried out as he felt the boot colliding evenly with his ribs. He could see his mother in his mind's eye: her smile, her voice, how she would tell him that everything would be alright with time, how he always believed her. His eyes stung and his vision blurred. This was all he could do. He couldn't even defend his own mother's honor. Some son he turned out to be. Maybe Nanoka was right. Maybe he really _was_ worthless.

"Look, he's actually crying!" Mihno exclaimed.

"Well, duh!" Nanoka laughed as he gave Hakku another kick when he tried to get up again, "Course he's gonna cry. He's just a weak, little _girl_! Ha, ha!"

"And what's wrong with being a girl?" a new voice cut in.

Four pairs of eyes looked up to see the newcomer to the commotion in the alley.

She didn't seem very remarkable. Tanned skin and blue eyed like many other girls in the village; her brown hair was tied into a high ponytail using a light blue hair tie with two locks hanging down to frame her face, each decorated with blue beads. Nothing about her was very different, though what really struck Hakku, was her expression. She wore such a fiery look of determination, that Hakku swore he could almost see flames reflected in them. Her intense gaze leveled on Nanoka and his friends as she stood at the entrance of the alley with her arms crossed and her stance as solid as a rock.

Nothing was going to make her leave.

"How about you go home and mind your own knitting, girl," Nanoka called out, "This doesn't concern you,"

"How about _you_ three _losers_ leave this kid alone first, and then _I'll_ decide where to go,"

"Oh, yeah? And who's gonna make us?"

The girl's fiery eyes narrowed and she simply said, "Me,"

There was a brief silence over Hakku before the older boys roared in laughter.

The snow was digging into Hakku's sleeves and was starting to sting his skin. He closed his eyes and willed the girl to just go away. All she was doing is making things worse for the both of them. He can handle Nanoka and his friends beating him up, he has before, but if Nanoka decided to hurt this girl just because she wanted to defend him…

Hakku didn't think he could live with the shame.

Suddenly, the white bag of kelp was dropped on the ground in front of Hakku's face, causing him to open his eyes in surprise. He quickly scrambled to gather it into his arms before somebody else tried to grab it. He watched in trepidation as Nanoka walked over to the young girl in the alley, seemingly forgetting about Hakku for the moment. The other two boys followed him and Hakku debated on whether just taking this opportunity to run away - all three of their backs were turned after all - but he just couldn't will his legs to lift him. Instead he could only watch as the fearless girl, no older than he was, stared down the three older boys towering over her without so much of a twitch. _Just who was this girl?_

Nanoka chuckled. "You're funny kid. But I'm sure you know who I am…"

"A snot-nosed brat with a mouth bigger than his brain?" she supplied.

Another shocked silence filled the alley and suddenly Nanoka wasn't laughing anymore.

"_What_ did you just call me?" he practically growled as he took a menacing step towards her. "You're going to regret saying that little girl," he said as he got into stance, "I'm the top of my class in combat training,"

"Good for you," she said blandly, not even bothering to get into any stance. This just made Nanoka even more livid.

Hakku couldn't take it any longer.

"Leave her alone Nanoka! I'm the one you- Oof!" Another kick into his shoulder left Hakku once again with a face full of snow.

"_You_ shut up!" Mihno growled over him, having turned around to keep Hakku in check. Then, so he wouldn't try anything, Mihno planted a firm boot on Hakku's back to keep him down. The more Hakku struggled to free himself the more weight Mihno applied, eventually leaving Hakku gasping in the slush. "If you need a little girl to fight your battles for you then you're even more pathetic than we thought Hakku,"

Hakku looked away. He just couldn't watch a girl get pummeled just for trying to stick up for him. He was such a coward! _I'm so sorry,_ he thought desperately. If only he could help.

Nanoka yelled as he attacked and Hakku flinched as he heard the scuffle that ensued. He heard some grunts and yells and knew things were just going to get worse. Then a body landed right in front of his face with a surprised gasp. He opened his eyes and saw Nanoka himself lying in the snow before him, looking as shocked as Hakku has ever seen him. But what really stunned Hakku was that Nanoka was now sporting what would surely become a black eye on the left side of his face.

Before he could wrap his mind around what was happening, the weight on Hakku's back disappeared as Mihno charged the girl as well. He now watched as the girl, to his and the other boys amazement, not only deflected the attack, she then aimed a fist at the snow by Mihno's feet and then, with a cry, shot a jet of fire from her hand.

_Wait… fire?_

Hakku eyes widened as the snow liquefied under Mihno's feet and he was dragged down to his neck as the ground gave way to the heat.

"Wait, you're a _firebender_?" Nanoka asked astonished.

"That's not all I can bend," she said rather smugly, then without any warning she stomped a furred boot into the ground, and just as her foot made contact she threw another fist into the air. Suddenly a pillar of ice shot Mihno out of the hole he had been stuck in, sending him flying straight at Kodi. The two crashed in an unceremonious heap next to Nanoka and Hakku, who were both sporting similar petrified expressions.

"Wa-waterbending too? That must mean that you're the… the…" Nanoka was now the one stammering.

"That's right!" the girl proclaimed, her chest swelling with unbelievable pride, she bellowed, "_I'm the Avatar! You better deal with it!"_

"The Avatar?!" Mihno and Kodi yelled in unison.

"The Avatar…" Hakku whispered.

Nanoka had had enough it seemed. Without another word he got up and made a break for it out of the alley, leaving both his friends behind.

"Nanoka! Wait for us!" Mihno cried as he and Kodi disentangled themselves from each other, then taking off out of the alley as quickly as their legs would carry them, disappearing from sight in an instant.

This left Hakku alone in the alley with the Avatar.

He jumped when she broke into loud laughter.

"Ha! What pansies!" she snorted, still looking in the direction the older boys had run off to. Amusement shined in her eyes as if she had just been told a very funny joke. "I guess they weren't so tough after all, huh?"

Hakku didn't answer. Instead he was busy getting himself and his things together as quickly as possible so he too could run away before she set her sights on him. He didn't know much about the Avatar, other than stories he's heard from his mother and teachers. He'd heard that a Southern Tribe girl had been born as the new Avatar but he had never known who it was.

That is, until now.

He wasn't sure why the Avatar would bother with him and to be honest he didn't really want to find out. The quicker he got out of the alley and in the safety of his home the happier he will be. He just wanted to put this whole day behind him and look forward to a peaceful night at home with his mother.

"Hey!" she said suddenly, grabbing him by the shoulder before he could make a decent break for it. He barely reigned in the 'Eep!' before it left his mouth as he slowly turned to face her. "Hey, those jerks didn't hurt you did they?"

Truth be told, the shoulder she was holding onto now was the same one that Mihno kicked in just a minute ago. Though the throbbing was annoying it wasn't anything that he hadn't had to deal with before. He easily knew how to heal a bruised shoulder anyway; he could have it done as soon as he got home. The same went for his side, luckily this time Nanoka and his friends hadn't broken anything. Just minor bruising that Hakku could heal with his eyes closed.

"N-no, I-I'm okay, uh, Miss Avatar… Ma'am!"

"Ma'am?" she frowned. Hakku wanted to slap himself.

"I-I mean th-thank you! You didn't have to… I mean, I appreciate it and all, d-don't think that I-I don't. It's just I, uh…"

"Relax kid!" she said, removing her hand from his shoulder, probably thinking that if he became any redder he might just explode. "Just call me Korra, okay?" she smiled when he nodded, "And if those losers come back to bother you again you just come and find me, got it? I'll be more than happy to put 'em back in their place," she finished, punching a fist into her palm.

"B-but, why?" Hakku asked curiously. No one, besides his mother, has ever stuck up for him before, he didn't really know what to make of it.

To her credit, the Avatar, _Korra_, seemed genuinely confused by the question. "_Why?_ Because I'm the Avatar, and it's what I do!" she proclaimed, "Because people like them shouldn't be going around being bullies. And because you can be whoever you wanna be, no matter what people think,"

Hakku's eyes widened at her words. He studied her face to see if maybe she was just making fun of him too, but as he searched her eyes all he found was not only that same fire he saw earlier when she arrived in the alley, but also sincerity, strength, and a wisdom well beyond a girl her age should be carrying. His breath caught in his throat as he realized that _this_ is what it meant to be in the presence of the Avatar. He felt courage and strength he never knew course through him.

"Whoever… I want to be…" he whispered, and smiled at her and she beamed happily in return. "Thank you, Avatar Korra," Hakku said, not stuttering once. He gave a deep, respectful bow. "Thank you for everything,"

"Aw, shucks, kid," she said pulling him from his bow; he noticed she had a slight blush. "No need for any of that. Just a quick 'thanks' is good enough for me," she winked, "Now, I better get home, or my mom will kill me. Keep out of trouble, uh.."

"Hakku," he supplied.

"Hakku," she said, turning to run home, "I'll see ya around!"

And like that she was gone.

Hakku stood alone in the alleyway for a couple of minutes reflecting before turning around to make his way home. And even though his side and shoulder were throbbing, his anorak and hair were cold and wet from being pushed into the snow, and his kelp was slightly crushed, he couldn't stop the light and happy smile from creeping onto his face.

* * *

Hakku paused when he saw his and mother's hut off in the distance. Smoke was puffing out of the small chimney letting him know that his mother was home earlier than anticipated. His suspicions were confirmed when the door to the hut opened and he saw his mother walk out to stretch some leather out in the sun. Quickly, before she'd seen him, he ducked behind a protrusion of ice.

_Oh great! Now what? _He wasn't expecting her home for at least another couple of hours, in which time he had planned on healing his bruises in private. The last thing he wanted to do was cause his mother to worry on one of the few nights off she had.

Carefully and as quietly as possible, Hakku snuck off to the nearby fresh water reservoir. He had to hurry up, the reservoir was just hidden enough that his mother couldn't see him, but that would mean nothing if she decided to come and collect water.

With a quick check to see if the coast was clear, Hakku removed his anorak, and then followed with his tunic and gloves. The cold wind chilled him through his undershirt and he shuddered. His thin body wouldn't be able to last this kind of exposure for long, so he had to _really_ make this quick. With a gentle push and pull motion of his hand, a long strand of icy water floated out from the reservoir. It glided over to Hakku as he passed it from one palm to the next, finally letting it mold itself around his right hand as it became a glowing, watery glove.

He looked behind him to make sure no one was looking then pulled his undershirt up with his other hand, revealing the damage done today. It wasn't as bad as he thought actually. There were two big red marks on his side just along the ribs, given a couple of hours and they would surely turn an ugly purple. Luckily Hakku caught it in time. Placing the gloved hand over the wounds, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

Bruises were harder to heal than cuts or burns since the injury took place below the skin, but it was possible. Usually only more advanced healers knew how to treat injuries such as these. He himself had learned the technique just this week. He had grown tired of having to explain to his mother the origin of the bruises he would acquire from the bullies at school. The look on her face whenever he came home with another black eye was one of sadness, anger, and guilt that he never wanted to be the cause of. He hated that look, so he was glad that he could use this technique now.

Hakku could feel his blood flowing into the damaged tissue and, using the healing glove as a catalyst, he began to maneuver the water in his own blood. He frowned at the dull ache that formed as he felt the push. It wasn't painful, but it definitely wasn't comfortable.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding when the last of the tissue was repaired, he then set his sights on his shoulder. When that was done, his neck, until he was certain that there was no evidence of injury left on his body at all.

_Finally!_ He tore on his clothes as quickly as possible, the severe cold already making his teeth chatter.

He began to make the rest of the way home but on his third step he swayed and felt his eyes roll into the back of his head. The next thing he knew he was on his knees in the snow. He blinked a few times, his eyes bright, as he tried to make sense of what just happened. The white horizon was shifting unpleasantly, and he head felt suddenly too heavy for him to carry. He must have overdone it somehow.

"Hakku?" a familiar soft voice called out. He tried to respond but he was cut short when two gloved hands grabbed him by the shoulders. "Hakku! Can you hear me? Are you alright? What happened?"

Hakku's vision finally began to clear as he saw his mother kneeling before him. She was wearing her regular deep blue anorak, her brown hair tied into a long braid that hung over her right shoulder, much like how his own did, only she had a couple of long white feathers tucked behind her left ear. She still had a very young face, with big marine eyes that were looking down at him in deep concern.

_Well, so much for not worrying her._

"Hakku?" she tried again.

"I'm fine, mom," he said, trying to think quickly through the pounding in his ears. He really needed to practice more. "I'm fine. I just… tripped, that's all,"

"Tripped?" she asked, not liking that answer in the least, "Are you sure? Your eyes are a bit bright. Maybe I should go find a heal-"

"Mom! I'm _fine,_" he said, waving away her hands. He stood up on his own without swaying and gave her a smile. "See?"

She didn't seem to be buying it. She studied him with a critical eye, but in the end she, thankfully, let it go. "Well, alright. But if you feel any worse you let me know. Understood?"

He nodded and she stood up as well and made her way back to the hut as he followed.

"Why are you home so early anyway, Mom?" Hakku asked. He felt a migraine coming on but didn't want to let on to it. He had a remedy for it inside his room anyway. "I thought you wouldn't be home till later,"

"Oh, they sent me home early. I seem to have caught a bit of a cold," she smiled, picking up some supplies from outside the hut to bring inside. Hakku frowned as he helped her carry a heavy mat.

"Are you alright? Do you want me to make you something?" he asked, frowning. His mother gave out an amused chuckle.

"I think _I'm_ the one that is supposed to be the mother here, Hakku," she laughed, opening the door for him. "I'll be fine. It's just a little cough. Now, what do you think about us having fried trout for dinner?"

Hakku perked up at that. "That sounds great!" he said as he dug into his knapsack. "I also got some kelp today," he said as he pulled out a white linen bag, "They got a bit crushed though," he pouted, peering at its contents.

"That's perfect! Half of the mashing as already been done for us," she said in good humor. She took the bag from him but then suddenly turned her head to heave a few of throaty coughs.

Hakku frowned at the sound of them. It was a deep cough that seemed to rattle her to the core. Her face seemed to contort almost painfully when she gave a small gasp into a rag she held to her mouth. She rolled her eyes dramatically when she noticed the look of his face.

"Honestly, you brood like an old woman, Hakku. I told you I'm _fine_. See?" she said beaming at him, using his own words against him. She laughed at the peeved look he gave her and continued, "So was your day Hakku? Did you make any new friends?" she asked as she began to boil some water over the small stove.

Hakku blinked, the question getting him off guard. He didn't really have any friends, and she seemed to know that. She normally wouldn't ask so why today of all days? Sometimes he wondered if she knew more than she let on. The thought worried him.

_Any new friends?_ He began to think of a girl his age. A girl that looked at him with fierce blue eyes and a crooked grin; she didn't seem like much, but man was she tough. Inside her was a strength that he never thought truly existed in the world. And when he had been around her it felt like maybe, just maybe, he too could be strong.

"Friends?" he repeated.

"_You can be whoever you wanna be…"_

Hakku smiled.

"Yeah, I made a friend."

* * *

The sunlight that shined through the open window rested on a pair of pale eyelids. The warm sensation caused a facial twitch on the sleeping figure before the lids pulled back revealing a pair of groggy aqua-marine eyes. There was a still moment as the eyes adjusted to the bright light before a slender hand swept across the face of a young man. It pulled back a messy nest of blonde hair, long tresses draping over his shoulders freely. His body was lean and his long limbs barely made it off the edge of the bed as he stretched out languidly before relaxing on the squeaky mattress. He rested his large palms onto his tired face, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes, as the images of a frigid and far away land still lingered clear in his mind.

A young man named Hakku glared at the ceiling.

_A memory... But why now?_

* * *

**AN**: Back in the Fan-fiction Universe after a long time. Feels good, meng.

This character has been bouncing around my head for a while now, and I've finally decided on putting him down on paper. Literally actually, here's some links to some drawings I've done of him on my Devaintart account:

Study of Hakku as an adult: gallery/#/d58q5n5

And a little doodle of Young Hakku: gallery/#/d559m8v (he's on the bottom left corner)

Let me know what you think!

**NAMES:**

**Hakku**: I derived the name "Hakku" from the Japanese name "Haku", which means "pure; white like snow".

Haku is also Hawaiian for a crown of flowers, which is kind of appropriate.

**Ahnah**: _An_ Inuit name for girls _meaning_ "Wise woman".

**Nanook**: "Polar bear". In Inuit mythology, Nanook was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters deserved success in finding and hunting bears and punished violations of taboos. The word was popularized by _Nanook of the North_, the first feature-length documentary.

I totally just copied and pasted that definition straight out of Wikipedia.

**Kodi**: North American name, meaning "helpful".

**Nanoka**: Japanese for the seventh day of the month. *shrugs*

**Mihno**: Admittedly, I made this one up.

Like I said, it's been a while since I've written any fan-fiction, so I really appreciate constructive criticism. I have this story all worked out, just need to force myself to type it, which is a lot harder than it seems. But I think reading some reviews will help the process along.

Read and Review Please!

3 Slenay


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